Rhythm of the Rain

"Rhythm of the Rain"
Single by The Cascades
from the album Rhythm of the Rain
B-side Let Me Be
Released November 1962
Genre Pop, Doo-Wop
Length 2:28
Label Valiant Records 6026
Writer(s) John Claude Gummoe
Producer(s) Barry De Vorzon
The Cascades singles chronology
"Second Chance"
(1962)		 "Rhythm of the Rain"
(1962)		 "Let Me Be"
(1962)

"Rhythm of the Rain" is a song performed by The Cascades, released in November 1962. It was written by Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe. It rose to number three on the US pop chart on March 9, 1963, and spent two weeks at number one on the US Easy Listening chart.[1] Billboard ranked the record as the No. 4 song of 1963.[2]

The song was also a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom and a number-one single in Ireland. In Canada, the song was on the CHUM Chart for a total of 12 weeks and reached number 1 in March 1963.[3] In 1999 BMI listed the song as the ninth most performed song on radio/TV in the 20th century.[4]

The Cascades' recording was used in the soundtrack of the 1979 film Quadrophenia and included in its soundtrack album.[5]

Lyrics

The lyrics are sung by a man who wishes the rain would stop falling and reminding him of the error of his ways, and to let him cry alone, as his lover has left him.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1963) Peak
Position
Australia (Sydney) 3
Belgium 14
Canada (CHUM Chart) 1
Ireland 1
Norway 7
UK Singles[6] 5
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 1
US Billboard Easy Listening 1
US Billboard Pop Songs 3

Cover versions

Jan & Dean covered the song on their 1963 album, Jan & Dean Take Linda Surfin.

After having the lyrics translated to Dutch by Lennaert Nijgh, Rob de Nijs covered the song in 1963 as a single.

The 1969 recording by Gary Lewis & the Playboys peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In France, Richard Anthony and Sylvie Vartan covered this song under the name of "En écoutant la pluie".

In the 1960s and early 1970s, this song was covered by various singers and bands in the southeast Asia region. Among them were Teddy Robin & The Playboys, Felicia Wong (王愛明) in Hong Kong, Tracy Huang (黃鶯鶯) in Taiwan, Ervinna, Zhuang Xue Fang (莊雪芳) (in edited Standard Chinese lyrics under title name of 雨聲) in 1963 in Singapore,[7] and Sinn Sisamouth in Cambodia.

In 1978 the song enjoyed a run of popularity in country music, through a cover version recorded by Jacky Ward which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

In 1983 Neil Sedaka released the song as a single, reaching #37 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart.

In 1990 Dan Fogelberg scored a #3 hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, with "Rhythm of the Rain" being part of a medley alongside The Beatles' song "Rain."

Also in 1990 Jason Donovan reached #9 on the UK charts with his version. Donovan re-recorded the song for his 2008 album Let It Be Me.

In 1995 Hawaiian duo the Ka'au Crater Boys included "Rhythm of The (Falling) Rain" on their debut album Tropical Hawaiian Day and included it on their 2006 Best of... compilation.

Irish singer Chris de Burgh included "Rhythm Of The Rain / Crying In The Rain" on his 2008 album Footsteeps.

Mark Jonathan Davis recorded a parody called "The Rhythm of the Coffee Pot."[8]

In 2014 a version was included on the posthumously released album A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble by Jesse Winchester

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 49.
  2. ↑ http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/songoftheyear/
  3. ↑ Hall, Ron (1984 and 1986). The Chum Chart Book. Rexdale (Toronto): Stardust Productions. p. 27. ISBN 0920325157. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ Top 100 Songs of the Century Retrieved September 21, 2011
  5. ↑ IMDB Quadrophenia Entry
  6. ↑ "CASCADES | Artist". Official Charts. 1963-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
  7. ↑ "ZHUANG XUE FANG 莊雪芳 " 雨聲 " EP (寶石之音黑膠唱片 RE- 2714) 1963". YouTube. 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  8. ↑ "Mark Jonathan Davis - The Rhythm of the Coffee Pot". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-02-09.

External links